Festival offers charm, tradition of Greek culture

George Karras’ shout of “Opa!” was echoed by others in attendance at Saturday’s Central Georgia Greek Festival.

Karras explained the meaning of various words like opa, or “have a good time,” as well as the nation’s traditions in between sets of playing the bouzouki — a Greek guitar — during the ninth annual event in downtown Macon. The three-day festival, which runs through Sunday, is at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, 859 First St.

Karras, who travels the nation playing at Greek events, was joined by Themi Kakias as the two entertained the crowd.

“Say you’re at a Greek wedding and you drop the plates — you say ‘opa,’ ” Karras said.

Nearby, people waited in lines for food while others checked out some of the merchandise being sold by vendors such as Greek jewelry and clothing. At least several thousand people are expected to attend by the end of the festival that raises money for various charities and agencies like the Daybreak Center, Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia, Caring Solutions and the Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health.

Preparations for the festival begin months in advance, and this weekend the results of the action were reaped.

The authentic cuisine — from gyros to souvlaki and baklava — is always a popular attraction; however, the festival offers much more, organizers said.

There are tours where people can learn the history of the Orthodox church. The festival showcases dancers wearing Greek-styled clothing from several hundred years ago up to modern attire. Some of the outfits are from Thrace, a region that now borders Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, and features colorful patterns and wool to keep people warm.

It was the second time that Ana Beachem attended the festival that she says offers a family-friendly atmosphere and chance to learn about other traditions.

“I think it’s awesome we’re able to celebrate a culture like this here in Macon,” she said. “I don’t think some people realize the diversity we have here.”

The building that’s now Holy Cross holds a special place in the heart of Sherry Adams, of Manor. She took pictures Saturday afternoon of the church where she was once a member and 50 years earlier married her husband, Howard. At the time it was First Street United Methodist Church.

The couple decided to make the nearly three-hour trek from south Georgia to attend the festival on Saturday.

“The festival is great,” said Adams, who added she enjoyed a gyros and the music.

As she took pictures of the church she remarked, “they’ve made some changes to the interior, but they’ve left the beautiful stained glass windows.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Festival offers charm, tradition of Greek culture."